


What Love Means

by the13thCaretaker



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt/Comfort, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 20:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6486964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the13thCaretaker/pseuds/the13thCaretaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud,it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong-doings; love never fails.<br/>Edwin Jarvis makes sure that Anthony Edward Stark is loved, even when he messes things up, even when he asks pressing questions, even when he stays out late partying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Love Means

“Get him out of here!” hissed Howard Stark, snatching the screwdriver out of his son’s hands. Tony felt the large hands of Jarvis around his middle and lifting him up into the air. Tony didn’t want to go though, his dad never wanted to play with him, his dad must have hated him. It wasn’t fair! Tony kicked his legs in the air and began to cry. He didn’t want to go with Jarvis; he wanted his dad to take care of him for once. But the angry expression Howard looked at Tony with made the boy cry even more as Jarvis brought him close, folding his arms around him and carrying him out of the room. In an upset rage, Tony screaming and kicked louder and beat his small fists into Jarvis chest.

“Anthony Edward Stark,” came Jarvis’ voice. His surprisingly stern tone and the use of his full name was enough to make Tony freeze in his arms as Jarvis stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Was Jarvis mad at him? Tony couldn’t bear to look up at him as the man step him on one of the steps. Even when he was on the floor, Jarvis still had to bend down to be level with Tony’s face.

“Master Tony was that any way for a gentleman to act?” he asked.

Tony shook his head slightly.

“What was that?” Jarvis asked.

“No,” Tony spoke out loud.

“No. Next time your father asks you to leave, I want you to say ‘yes sir’ and exit immediately, understood?” Jarvis told him.

“But J he never asks me! He just yells at me!” Tony protested, twisting the hem of his shirt in his hands. He looked up at Jarvis and suddenly felt a wave of sadness when he saw the man’s disappointed eyes. The reaction he was receiving made a completely new feeling, he wasn’t angry or frustrated anymore, just sad. It was different than when his dad looked at him with disappointment in his eyes, Tony never wanted to disappoint Jarvis.

“I’m sorry Jarvis,” Tony mumbled, looking back down.  
“The next time your father yells, I want you to be better than him,” Jarvis said.

Tony furrowed his brows and looked back at Jarvis. Better than his father? He didn’t understand.

“Don’t yell and scream back, it won’t solve anything,” Jarvis continued, “Tony, your father loves you and he’s doing what he can to protect you. He just gets confused and worried sometimes.”

Tony didn’t answer and looked back down at his shoelaces, thinking and turning the words over in his head. He heard Jarvis sigh and felt his long arms wrap around him and pull him close.

“I’m sorry too, Master Tony,” he said quietly.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry Jarvis!” bawled Tony as he ran to Jarvis and wrapped his arms around the tall man’s legs. “He was so mean, I didn’t mean to say anything back but I just couldn’t help it!”

Tony had only gone down to the lab to ask his dad about a specific kind of wiring and it went downhill quickly. He had unknowingly interrupted a meeting with Aunt Peggy that had been important also. It had happened fast and in a whirlwind of confusion and emotion he had gotten back handed across the face by Howard. Jarvis was halfway down the stairs to the lab when Tony had met him. Now he could hear Aunt Peggy telling his dad off.

“Howard Stark what have you turned into!?” she shouted from in the lab. “All this work to protect him from the likes of Hydra but you can’t even give the child some affection?!”

“Peggy he might hear you-“Howard said in a quiet tone.

“Let him! Howard, that boy should know you’re trying to keep him safe, all you’re doing is pushing him away from you! You are a better man than this!”  
Tony could hear the disappointment in her voice. He wondered if his dad felt as bad as he had when Jarvis had been disappointed. Tony guessed he must have because there wasn’t an answer for a long time.

“Come along, Master Tony,” Jarvis gently said, picking him up. A kind of fear leaped up in Tony’s heart. After hearing Aunt Peggy and his dad, he had nearly forgotten the probably inevitable disappointment Jarvis would be feeling that he had yelled back at his dad. He threw a glance at Jarvis as the man carried him up the stairs. His face was impassive and left Tony hanging for an answer to how he felt about him.

“I’m sorry,” Tony repeated as Jarvis took him into the kitchen, looking for some kind of reaction from him. He was scared the answer he would get would hurt more than the pain coursing through the side of his face.

Jarvis sat him on the counter and retrieved a bag of frozen peas from the freezer. He came back and Tony shifted uncomfortably as he carefully put it against the side of his face. Finally, Jarvis looked Tony in the eye again. His eyes looked just plain sad and Tony felt his heart sink. He was surprised when an arm wrapped around him tightly.

“I forgive you, Master Tony,” he said.

Tony blinked and then frowned. He looked up at Jarvis with his brows furrowed. “Why?” he asked. Tony didn’t get it; he kept messing up, how Jarvis could forgive him. Was he just saying that?

“Because I love you, Anthony,” Jarvis answered.

Any and all doubt that Tony had about being forgiven disappeared. He was still confused… why would Jarvis love him when he kept messing up? But there was something in his voice that made Tony believe him. He just knew that Jarvis did love him. Tony leaned the uninjured side of his head into the butler, feeling the warmth of his embrace and never wanting to leave it.

“I love you too Jarvis,” he whispered.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony was playing with his Captain America action figure, teaching him algebra when he suddenly thought of a question for Jarvis. He was so perfect for the role, Tony didn’t understand why he didn’t play it with his own? The little boy sat Cap in front of the math book and instructed him what to do. Then he slid off the chair and made his way out the back door.

He spotted Jarvis working on the far side of lawn, doing some gardening. Ana was with him, helping and was right there in the dirt too. Tony watched them, they looked so happy together that it made him smile too. He ran across the lawn towards them with a grin on his face.

“Jarvis! Mrs. Jarvis!” he called out. The couple turned to look at him coming and somehow their smiles got even bigger and filled with more joy.

 

“Master Tony!” exclaimed Ana, opening her arms wide. Tony giggled and ran into them, sharing a hug with her.

 

“Wait here,” she said, tapping his nose, “And I will bring us all some lemonade.”

 

“Yay!” Tony shouted, jumping up and down as she rose. He almost forgot the question he had for them as she went inside, but thought of it again as he sat down on the cool grass next to Jarvis.

 

“Jarvis?” he asked, watching him plant a few flowers that Tony didn’t know the names of.

 

“Yes Master Tony?” he said, pushing some dirt over the roots.

“You’re a good dad. How come you don’t have any kids?” Tony asked. The question seemed to knock him off guard and Jarvis paused in his work. Tony looked up towards his face expectantly. All of a sudden Jarvis looked sad and Tony frowned, he didn’t think the question would hurt his feelings. Before Tony could say anything else, the man beat him to it, looking down at him with a warm smile. Tony didn’t get it, his eyes were sad but he was smiling?

“Ana and I can’t have children, Master Tony,” he said.

“Why?”

“You know how Aunt Peggy goes on her adventures?”

Tony nodded his head excitedly and looked up at him. 

“I accompanied her on one and when we returned the bad guys hurt Ana,” Jarvis explained slowly. Tony threw a glance at the house and saw Ana making their lemonade through the kitchen window. “She’s very healthy now,” Jarvis continued, “Absolutely perfect, but because of the injury we can’t have children.”

The little boy looked from the window back to Jarvis thoughtfully. Before he could ask how children were made anyways, Jarvis took off his gardening gloves and continued speaking.

“Besides! We have you to keep us company, don’t we?” he said, putting his hands around Tony. The little boy squealed and giggled as Jarvis rolled onto his back and lifted Tony into the air.

“Yes! Yes!” Tony agreed, returning a toothy smile to Jarvis as he flapped his arms.

A minute later Ana returned with the lemonade and Jarvis set Tony down, only to have the little guy crawl back into his lap as they enjoyed their cool drinks in the warm, sunny air. Looking at Jarvis and his wife, Tony felt pride swell up in his heart that they loved him like their own son. He suddenly understood what Jarvis meant the other day a little better, how he’d always forgive him because he loved him. Jarvis would never stop, neither would Ana. For that matter, Tony would never stop loving them either.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was late when Rhodey dropped Tony back off at the mansion. All the lights were off, save for a couple on the first floor and Tony knew, with great disappointment, that someone was waiting for him. He half hoped it was his dad. Maybe this would get the man to pay attention to him for once. On the other hand he didn’t want his father screaming at him, but he wasn’t sure he could take Jarvis’ reaction over that.

Maybe someone had just left the light on by accident and everyone was in bed. 

Bracing himself for whatever was on the other side, Tony twisted the knob and opened the door. At first he didn’t see anyone, and thought maybe he was lucky. It turned out he wasn’t as Jarvis stepped in from the other room.   
“This is a rather late hour,” Jarvis said. Tony must have visibly deflated.

“We got lost in our studies and then traffic was bad on the way back,” Tony lied, closing the door behind him. As he closed it he thought of a million things to defend himself with should he be questioned. He was doing well in school, so what if they had celebrated a little? Besides he was old enough to make his own choices now. When Tony turned around to face the butler again he suddenly didn’t have the heart to speak any of that. He swallowed and looked Jarvis in the eye.

“What’s wrong?” he asked instead.

Jarvis raised an eyebrow and Tony waited for a lecture on how he shouldn’t go and do that kind of stuff, it was bad, gentlemen didn’t do that, but instead the butler simply turned and walked away. Tony blinked in surprise and stood there for a minute in confusion. As Jarvis went into the hall Tony quickly followed after him and into the kitchen.

“What’s the matter J?” Tony tried again as he did the dishes. There was another moment of silence, save for the sound of water sloshing in the sink, before he got an answer.

“I am rather disappointed that you have lied to me, especially after Ana and I spent our evening worried about what was happening to you,” was the answer. Tony felt sick and he was pretty sure it was guilt rather than all the all the alcohol he had consumed. 

“I’m sorry Jarvis…” Tony sighed. “Everyone else was doing it, and we all studied hard. We were just having some fun.”

“I think, Master Tony, you were having too much fun. I want you to have fun, it’s good to have fun and play around, but too much a good thing is bad for you,” Jarvis said, “If this continues you may turn into drunk and I’ll have to fetch you from the gutters.”

Tony swallowed and apologized again. “I won’t let it happen again, I’m sorry” he mumbled, getting a towel and drying the dishes. He wondered if doing this kind of stuff helped his dad turn into the alcoholic he was now. Tony certainly did not want to become that. Most of all, he had disappointed Jarvis again and that was something he hated doing more than anything else.

Jarvis set down the dishes he was holding down into the sink and dried his hands. He took Tony by the shoulders and looked him in the eye.   
“I forgive you, Anthony,” he said firmly.

“Thank you J,” Tony said. He still felt terrible inside, but hugged Jarvis back when the man put his arms around him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s one of the best days of Tony’s life when he’s graduating from MIT. Both of his parents show up for once and Howard even looks decent and doesn’t look like he’s suffering from a hangover. However there was one person missing, and Tony swore if he had been made to wait at the car he was going to strangle his dad.

“Where’s Jarvis?” was the first words out of Tony’s mouth when he finally met up with his parents. 

Howard’s hesitancy to answer and Maria’s nervous glance at her husband unsettled Tony.

“Jarvis is at the hospital,” Howard said and Tony felt his heart jump in fear. “He’s fine, but I’m afraid Ana won’t make it through the night.”

When Tony arrived at the hospital his legs felt like jelly as he made his way to Ana’s room. His heart clenched when he stood in the doorway. Jarvis was in a chair next to Ana’s bed and tears were streaming down his face. Glancing at the heart monitor, he saw that there were no blips. That meant Ana was gone…

Tony felt an overwhelming urge to run away from the scene, he wanted to scream and yell. Looking at the scene before him of Jarvis actually in tears, real, proper tears and Ana’s lifeless body next to him, Tony felt sick. He couldn’t handle this- it was all just wrong.

But if Jarvis taught him anything, it was that love doesn’t give up or run away. So quietly putting one foot in front of the other, Tony stepped forward.

“Jarvis,” he said, voice catching in his throat. The man raised his head and looked over at him, caught off guard. Before Jarvis had a chance to speak, Tony had knelt down and wrapped his arms around him. Slowly the embrace was returned and they sat there in silence for a long while. Tony was scared for the butler, he loved his wife more than anything in the entire universe, what was he going to do now?

Jarvis pulled back and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. “Thank you, Master Tony,” he said softly and Tony nodded his head slightly. “At least I have you, don’t i?” he said as if answering his question.

Tony realized that, just like Jarvis had been there for him, he himself had been there for Jarvis. Just like the man had said so many years ago. Tony barely remembered sitting there on the lawn with them, but that stood out the most, echoing through his head. From that point on, he vowed he would do everything to be there for Jarvis and make Ana proud.


End file.
